Holiday travel - following the wise men

Taking a road trip can be a trying time for anyone, and during the holiday season such trips seem to be particularly stressful, but if you have a strong belief in the story of Christmas, then you can make your journey this holiday season a chance to teach your children about the journey of the wise men to Bethlehem.

Start by sitting down before the trip starts and telling them about the wise men and why they made their journey. You can have each child think up something that can be done during the trip to signify the wise men's journey.

How about making plans to spend a little extra time and stop by churches along your way to see their nativity scenes? You can even help your children create a miniature nativity scene from polymer clay that can be set on the dash of your car during the trip. Or create a scrap book and fill it with pictures taken of holiday decorations that you see along the way.

Another way to add some learning to the trip is to stop somewhere where you can see the night sky particularly well and locate the North star, explaining features of the stars and telling your children about the star of Bethlehem.